The referees at the tournaments I attended were in complete charge of their rings, including the surrounding area, whether it was filled with other athletes or spectators. The referee had the authority to disqualify competitors for their actions, or the actions of their coach or supporters.

Though rarely invoked, this policy had the effect of keeping the atmosphere in check and balance. In an art, where practitioners insist that a natural byproduct is self-control and self-discipline, it’s hard to imagine what outsiders must think when they see Black Belts (high ranking or not) arguing to the point of physical confrontation. Large groups (a mob?) fist fighting on the floor demonstrates something, but I don’t think it is either self-control or self-discipline.

This insistence on practicing both of these skills inside and outside your school and inside and outside tournaments, have real benefits for students and society as well.

I’ve been told that at least one major city has suggested that Karate tournaments are not welcome there any longer. The reason is the damage to host hotels was too severe. Now that will help your enrollment drive next year, don’t you think?

Is it possible to teach Americans a measure of self-control? I think so, which is the point of this column. Certainly, the weird violence in this country can only be controlled through people learning to control themselves, i.e., self-control.

At one of those tournaments I attended, groups of competitors, divided by clubs, were seated on the floor. There were, perhaps, 900 people on the floor, and they comprised all age groups-from five years old to seniors.

 ”Insist on behavior at your events that’s consistent with what your say you teach.”

Suddenly, eight or ten people started throwing T-shirts into the crowd and onto the floor. This was duplicated on the other side of the gym. These people walked down the sidelines throwing T-shirts right and left.

Inwardly, I groaned. I had seen this happen once before in the 1980s, with the same organization, and was forced to help rescue the promoter’s wife, as the crowd grabbing for T-shirts almost stampeded her.

Amazingly enough, however, this time not one group broke ranks on the entire floor-No little children, no rampaging teenagers and no stampeding adults.

With no direction from anyone, and caught completely by surprise, not one individual, and not even one club, so much as broke ranks, much less stampeded.

This wonderful behavior was not orchestrated by some “edict” of the organization. If you try to take control of your organization, then that approach will never work. No, numerous club owners and coaches, who are on the front lines everyday, teaching self-control and self-discipline, developed this behavior in their students.

Whatever your martial art and school, when an organization or any club not only teaches self-control and self-discipline, but also consistently practices and demonstrates it, it can become second nature.

It’s rather amazing that many of us do what we say we do. Why not be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem? Why not take a look at your organization?

Insist on behavior at your events that’s consistent with what your say you teach. If a number of people don’t agree with that, then go somewhere else. If your organization and school take this stand, then changes will certainly occur. I have seen it happen.

Some of us thought we could create some of the best warriors on the planet. Some of us thought we could help people help themselves. Other instructors just loved their art so much that they wanted to share it with the world. Most of us fall into one or more of these categories, or others unknown.

When I look at how our school is structured, how we teach our classes and what we emphasize, I’m constantly reminding my instructors about the importance of the ABCs. The ABCs are the three groups that naturally exist in any school-that is, if you haven’t driven some of them off the mat.

“The A group is the naturally athletic, aggressive and assertive people.”

The A group is the naturally athletic, aggressive and assertive people. These are the kind of people my best teachers love. My Black Belt instructors are like the math and science teachers who thrive on motivated students with high IQs. Who wants to interact with the students who struggle? After all, these naturally “athletic, aggressive and assertive” people would provide you with bragging rights.

The second group (B) is “okay” with most instructors. They are the “Believers,” who believe in your program, and they are the “Becomers” (as in, works-in-progress). You can recognize regular growth in these students.

The C group is composed of the “Catch-Up” students. They are always trying to train and grow at the same rate as other students. Most concepts and techniques come harder, many of them don’t understand your corrections and some of them even have lousy attitudes. Who wants to work with them? C students are twice as hard to teach, take twice as much time and effort and make you tired just thinking about how you will ever prepare them for the next big test.

Unless I miss my guess, your students are very similar to the students in our schools. How do you serve these different groups of students? Do you work with just those you like the most and let the others just quietly slip away?

As a school owner, businessman and dedicated teacher, I look at these groups in a couple of different ways.

The first is financial.

I’ve estimated, from experience, that most student bodies can be divided 10% A, 70% B and 20% C. That’s based on the assumption that you run a full-service school, with children and adults and males and females. That means if you pursue A prospects, give them good service and pay no attention to your other students, then your school is only 10% of the size it should be! You are losing 90% of your business.

Even if you build your school around B students-decrease the intensity a bit, but still expect some quality, then you’ve turned your back on 30% of your business. Ten percent is the A group that is becoming bored and 20% from the C group who can’t maintain the pace of the class.

When I look at this grouping concept from the viewpoint of a dedicated teacher, several things come to my mind. I tell my Black Belt teachers that there are two kinds of students-those who impact the art, because they are so talented, and those for whom the art has great impact.

Of course, there are many more of the latter than there are of the former. I also remind my instructors that we will probably impact the life of a C student much more than the life of an A student; and this is great value to both you as a teacher and to them as students.

Look at your school. Is it organized and operated in a manner that allows your “A” students to stretch and excel, or are they restrained? They won’t last long if you do. Then, look at your “C” students, those who understand at a slower pace. What systems do you have in place to enable them to succeed?

Your ability to address your A, B and C students will greatly enhance your pocketbook-and your reputation as a school and a teacher.

One example comes immediately to my mind. I had a female student many years ago who was not athletic when she came to us. She couldn’t do three pushups, it was difficult to teach her kata and she probably weighed 105 pounds soaking wet. I’m not even sure why she started classes. She did have two children in the class, so that was part of it, but she was not someone you would pick from a crowd and say, “She would enjoy martial arts.” (She did eventually become one of our Black Belts, which says much about pre­conceived notions.)

This student was so afraid of falling that she invariably clung to my body when I threw her. Her body seemed to flow over my hips and legs, and she always landed right by my feet.

 …you may learn something from that student that can impact your teaching.

This was a little disturbing because I was used to throwing the guys in a much more dramatic fashion. It looked much better when I threw one of them. It even sounded much better, since they made a nice “thump” when they hit the ground. When I threw her, it was more like a whisper.

I achieved nice “air” when I threw the fellows. You know, that nice arc their bodies make when you do a nice throw. The visual effect is much greater, and if you’re demonstrating a throw to a class or at a demo, then you certainly want that nice visual affect.

When I threw Sue, she just clung to me like a shadow. Not very impressive. Or was it?

As I analyzed what was happening, I discovered some interesting facts. First, if you land near the feet of the person who is throwing you, then the impact is much less. Sue instinctively knew this because she was so afraid of falling. She had no preconceived “macho” ideas of “Yes, I’m supposed to fly through the air and slam hard into the mat.”

Second, when you land near the feet of the thrower, it’s much easier to counter-throw. If your body flows over theirs, and you land at or near their center, then it’s rather easy to continue that energy and just throw them with their momentum.

Because of this experience, I began to teach falling differently. I taught my students to try to land near their feet. We practiced both ways, landing far from our feet, and landing close to them. Everyone noticed what Sue had already known. You don’t hit the ground as hard.

My more advanced students were taught to practice this when being thrown. I can’t say that they all could do it as well as Sue, but most of them adapted quite well, and when they could perform it properly, we taught them how to counter-throw.

Have you had similar experiences? Do you have a student-who could very easily not be one of your most talented-but just doesn’t do it like the other students? He or she isn’t trying to be difficult, they just do it differently, and maybe it even irritates you a little.

Perhaps, you should study that during your off time, and reflect on why he or she is doing it that way. Like me, you may learn something from that student that can impact your teaching.

Douglas Adamson teaches Shorei Kai (an Americanized Okinawan Karate system), classical Okinawan weapons and a kali system called Pikiti Tirsha.

Allow me to relate an example, knowing that it might upset a few music fans, but I feel it is relevant to the subject. Most of you know that Bill Wallace was, just briefly, one of Elvis Presley’s Karate instructors, during the latter years of his life. Bill told me that Elvis’ martial art skills were approximately the equivalent of a Green Belt, although he had a high Black-Belt rank. I was struck by the fact that even then his true confidence-­in that very deep place-was not fulfilled. I think that this was apparent by the evidence of Elvis’s later life and death. I wonder if his earlier instructors might have cheated him by not adequately challenging him. That might have changed history in Memphis and modern music as well.

At our school, we make that “time to discover yourself” our Black Belt test. All other exams are not really exams, but “mile markers,” which reveals students’ progress. The Black Belt test is an exam, however; and everyone knows at our school that any student will fail the exam if he or she doesn’t fulfill the standards.

We have created a six-month intensive program as preparation for that exam, and students must pass several evaluations during that period to continue the preparation sessions. Students must wait for the next six-month program if they fail any of those evaluations.

By conducting these periodic evaluations, we make every attempt to protect students from any situation that may lead to their failure. If we know that they lack minimum levels in technique, physical fitness or mental strength, then we ask them to wait until the next preparation program.

The final checkpoint is the Black Belt evaluation, conducted approximately two weeks before the exam. It is essentially a “cut test” to eliminate the probability of students failing a test for which they are not prepared.

“That makes what we do valuable-­and worth whatever we charge for it.”

You can appreciate that this is sometimes difficult to implement and that families sometimes become upset. With careful explanations of our goals for their children and the purpose of the process, families readily agree to support our position.

The following is an example of such a discussion if the student is a child. An adult student discussion would be very similar.

“Mom and dad, as the instructor, I have two choices. First, I can give your child his Black Belt right now with no test because I have that authority. Is that what you want me to do?”

The answer is always, “No, I don’t want you to give my child his belt, I want him to earn it.”

The instructor then says, “Then, the next option is for me to teach your child how to achieve his goal. That requires that we lower the obstacle and empower your child to conquer it. If you give me that opportunity, then I know I can help him achieve his Black Belt.”

You can structure your program and provide your students with some intensity however you choose, however, make sure that you don’t shortchange them. Give them what they want from the experience of martial arts-real self-respect, the “down-deep” and “no-one-can-take-it-­away” kind.

We may never really know what greatness we can accomplish for our students and communities until we provide our students with the kind of intense experience they deserve.

Douglas Adamson teaches Shorei Kai (an Americanized Okinawan Karate system), classical Okinawan weapons and a kali system called Pikiti Tirsha.

Of course, the goals that we set for our schools and our­selves drive that change. Many older instructors remember a time when their schools’ primary goal was to develop the finest fighters possible. That era is commonly referred to as the “bare-knuckle” days or the “blood-’n'-guts” era. Those names refer to the lack of safety equipment then, and that point fighting in tournaments was the closest thing to a legal bloodbath.

As a matter of fact, I remember, with great joy, the day we obtained our first safety equipment at Bill “Superfoot” Wallace’s school in Indianapolis. Because he was the reigning National Point Champion at that time, we obtained the first prototypes of Jhoon Rhee’s new safety equipment for testing purposes. I thought it was a great idea because the cuts, bruises, black eyes and broken noses we experienced on a semi-regular basis became tir­ing and interfered with our training.

We have all agreed to advance from those days, but have we advanced too far? Have we diluted what we give our students to the point that they are unable to achieve for themselves what we were driven to find for ourselves?

If you’re an old veteran, then don’t you remember the need to find something about yourself? What you were made of? How you ticked on the inside? I remember watching Bill Wallace during one of his earliest televised kickboxing matches, 1976 in Las Vegas, against a contender named Jem Echollas.

The earliest bouts of that sport, then called full-contact Kara­te, were conducted without the fighters being surrounded by ropes. It was called a “rope-less ring.” The idea was to decrease the most serious injuries, since most fighters received the worst injuries when they were against the ropes. There were serious penalties for stepping off the mat area.

Bill hit Echollas with a very hard round­house kick flush in the face, and he was stunned to the point that he simply stag­gered from the ring and up the aisle of the auditorium. He was headed from the building. I was struck with the thought that Echollas was so stunned that he really didn’t know what he was doing, but he knew-deep in his mind-that he didn’t want to be where he was.

If we find weaknesses or failings within our students, then we can help them grow beyond those challenges. That makes what we do valuable-and worth whatever we charge for it.

I suddenly was struck by a concern: what if I should I be in a similar situation? I immedi­ately switched from an emphasis on point fighting to full contact.

Don’t you remember a simi­lar time in your life when you wondered about yourself or how you would function in a certain situation? Maybe you thought as I did. What would I do if an attacker had a knife? What would I do if there were two or three of them? These were not ran­dom thoughts, but nagging concerns about what you were made of as a per­son. It was something deep that you wanted to know.

You, like me, probably had a number of experiences that helped you answer those questions. Questions asked not by others, but by you, and answered not intellectu­ally, but experientially. You experienced something that altered your perception of yourself.

As businessmen, we have the responsi­bility to make a living for our families, but, as instructors, we have a responsibility to help our students discover what is important about themselves. If we find weaknesses or failings, then we can help them grow beyond those challenges. That makes what we do valuable-and worth whatever we charge for it.

You have learned your martial arts history from me as children, and now from your own study. You often teach me.

You have learned how a man, Jigoro Kano, who was a member of the Japanese educational system, changed Jiu­jitsu into Judo. He took a Japanese martial art, modified it to make it safer, designed it to be a collegiate sport and used it to support and encourage Japanese culture and history.

In an article, he wrote, “The meaning of jitsu is ‘art, practice,’ and do means ‘principle’ or ‘way.” While he felt that his new art was in some ways superior to the old, the reality was that his changes were safer to practice, and less combative and more sports-like by design. Mr. Kano founded his school during 1882. He would have been proud (as indicated by his writings) to call it “modern jiu-jitsu.”

During 1901, Ankoh Itosu developed Karate-do. He was also an administrator of the school system, but this art was developed on the islands of Okinawa; and he worked in the middle school system there. His purpose, similar to the pattern established by Kano, was to use Karate as a means to encourage the importance of Okinawan culture and history. He wished to use this art to develop important character traits in the children for which he was responsible. His material was made safer to use by the practitioners, and, as an educational tool, he developed the pinan katas (from a Chinese model or not, who knows?).

For the first time, the Okinawan arts faced the challenge of being taught to groups of children during an entire school semester. It was breaking new ground, and it was called “Karate-do.” We would now call this “modern karate.”

During the beginning of 1957, General Hong-hi Choi required the army to be trained in Taekwondo, so the very first Taekwondo students were Korean soldiers. Clearly, it became a Korean-government goal from the beginning, undoubtedly for the patriotic pride of the Korean people, to maintain (or re-establish) their culture and history, and to create a new Korean sport.

With government support and funding, the old Korean arts and the art of Karate learned by Koreans in Japan, were modified into a sport to be practiced by young people-first throughout Korea, then the world. It eventually carried the flag and pride of Korea to every continent. Certainly, the old Korean martial artists would have called it a “modern” version.

Remy Presas did the same with Filipino Kali, and called it “modern Arnis.”

What did these historical events accomplish, and what did they diminish?

First, modern approaches ignited the interest in and growth of each particular art. Membership soared, media coverage became more commonplace, teaching the art became a financial possibility and whole industries developed to supply equipment and training supplies. The martial arts ultimately became an industry.

Additionally, an emphasis was usually placed upon the character development of the student. Was it wrong to change the main purpose from life-and-death combat to helping to make better humans? In the final analysis, I don’t think so, and I encourage you to consider this as well.

Certainly, the number of students from our school who’ve been involved in mortal struggles outside of the classroom is very small. I know this, because I often ask the student population. Even in your lives, consider how many times you have been faced with a life-and-death situation.

I’ve often felt a great part of this development is due to the increased awareness of the practitioners, who are able to sense violence developing and avoid it, rather than stumble blindly into it. Whether you agree with that or not, the reality is that practitioners rarely put their combat training to use.

This would make the lifelong practice of martial arts less important militarily, and more important in the develop­ment of “life skills.” After all, how many times has the confidence, the discipline, the focus, the goal setting, etc., been of great value to your lives?

Remember this fact, and continue to develop better people for a better society. It is a proud and honorable way for you to make a living in modern society.

Finally, with all of the training and knowledge that you acquire, never depart from the “do”-the way-the character development of the art you teach. It makes what you do of value to your community and your society.

Your Loving Father

Dear sons, now that you have decided to make teaching martial arts a career, instead of a pastime, please consider these words of experience.

As you know, most traditional groups have an unwritten policy on how to handle their life-long relationships between students and teachers. I have often felt that traditional groups seem to be set up in a similar manner to Mafia families-not that they are unlawful-but because they have “family” relationships.

Remember, when Sensei and his fellow student and best friend found that they had to change their affiliations in Okinawa? They took 10 years to do it and received a signed contract from their old organization to declare to the world that they had done this in an honorable manner.

In the old country, someone, who had left his previous “family” to join a new one, was viewed with great suspicion, rather than great hope. Having been disloyal, he was considered as being of poor character. My experience, during more than a quarter of a century, has told me that the family’s assessment was usually right.

If you find yourself in a situation, during the next quarter of a century, when you must change your affiliations, do so with great reluctance, a feeling of loss and great attention to detail. Don’t talk about problems with other people because they will come back to haunt you. Don’t use anger in your discussions, but logic and reason. Work for the mutual good, make everyone a winner and you will be a leader.

Remember that others of serious mind and commendable skill don’t want to hear you moan. They know there are always two sides to every problem. They just want to know that you are careful, honorable and discreet, and they can trust you with their future. Use this model in other areas of your life. Don’t burn bridges ever…ever…ever…unless you absolutely can’t help it.

You might not remember this example because it happened when most of you were young. Do you remember a student who eventually became an instructor from our original group of schools? Everyone helped him with his new school, and he grew quite well. Eventually, he turned against his sensei.

 In the old country, someone, who had left his previous “family” to join a new one, was viewed with great suspicion, rather than great hope.

He grew large, rivaling the largest of us in numbers of schools and numbers of students; however, he had trouble retaining students. His higher ranks wouldn’t stay with him. They kept leaving to compete with him or to join competitors. A few years later, it all dwindled away. His students stopped coming to class, his bus stopped going to tournaments and his schools closed.

You can say many things to convince people of traditional values; however, after rearing a houseful of boys and having a hand in raising thousands of others, it seems strange to me that others wouldn’t understand that humans imitate how you ACT much more than they imitate what you SAY. Make your daily walk do the talking.

I have been amazed at how often I run across people who were affiliated in some way with me in the past; or I discover someone who is working with someone that I used to know. When this happens, I am reminded how some event from years ago may impact my life today.

When I give you this advice about not burning bridges, I don’t mean that you should never stand for what you believe-far from it. What I am suggesting is that you separate relationship friction from behavior that is detrimental to your community, family and school.

If you find yourself faced with a condition that is immoral and it is more than you can live with, (remembering that you have faults as well), then don’t be afraid to call it for what it is: Burn the bridge. Just be sure you say as much to their faces as you say behind their backs. This too, is honor.

Douglas Adamson teaches Shorei Kai (an Americanized Okinawan Karate system), classical Okinawan weapons and a kali system called Pikiti Tirsha.

Part 6 of a Six-Part Series on Using Kata (or Form) For Martial Arts Development

My series of columns has presented what kata or form practice can do for you and your students; but we all know that many, if not most, don’t experience the good effect I have been describing, as a result of well thought out and executed practice.

Why not? What is preventing a student from realizing these benefits?

Here are four of the most common mistakes that keep you on the track of failure, rather than success, during your kata or form practice.

1. If you are more concerned about how your face looks than how your hand or foot hits, then you are going in the wrong direction.

You will not develop real power and authority in your striking, if you are just playacting. I think any serious student who is well intentioned and is on the right path will eventually discover some great things about hitting. You had a vision of how you thought a Black Belt should be able to hit; however, the sure result of this mistake is to never reach it.

2. If your breathing counters everything we know about fighting…then discovery is not on your horizon.

If your breathing counters everything that we know about fighting, then, perhaps, you are training incorrectly. In other words, really great fighters move smoothly and hit without hesitation and with great accuracy and speed of combinations. Try this experiment: Breath hard during every movement and punch (or kick) three times very fast. Now, try it again, but this time just let your breath be natural. No huffing, puffing or grunting. As fast as you can. What do you discover with this exercise? Hard breath during every move slows you down. That doesn’t mean you never have a hard breath; it just means that you don’t always have hard breath. If you do, then you are limiting your exploration into hitting power.

Breathing hard during every move is for the most basic beginner who holds his or her breath. I don’t think you need that anymore. Move to more advanced technique.

3. If your feet are pounding on the floor, then you will never learn to “ground”.

If your feet are making a stomping sound every time you step, then your weight is falling out of control in a forward direction. You are bouncing up and down like a porpoise. If you are struck in the middle of this move, then you are easily knocked to the ground. If you finish the move, then you are easily swept or manipulated because you are not in control of your body. You should move smoothly, like a Samurai with a sword, not like hitting with a sledgehammer to ring a bell at the county fair.

4. If your eyes are closed, wandering or blinking, then they are betraying the fact that your mind is wandering, instead of doing active meditation.

You can lie on your back, close your eyes and work your way through a kata. This is passive meditation. It has some limited value, but it is not kata or form practice. That takes ACTIVE mediation, based on hitting, throwing or subduing another human being. You have to look at them. You have to be assertive and dominate.

No one who is looking around, blinking or has his eyes closed can possibly be practicing being assertive and dominate. When you punch or kick someone hard enough to incapacitate them (read knock them down, you cannot look around the room. You must be looking at your partner with great focus…before, during and after the conclusion of the technique.

Train like this in your kata and form and you might discover some great things.

Some years ago, one of my instructors, Koyoshi Nishime Sensei (Cincinnati, Ohio), revealed to me a number of things about kata that I never understood. One of the most important concerned how the development of power was like a two-headed snake. Not only can that power damage the attacker, but also it can damage the striking artist. as well.

During a couple of years, he made some corrections in how I was throwing the technique, or moving in my stances, or how to improve my posture in the kata. My old body began to thank him, as pains and strains begin to diminish and disappear.

Having trained many students in my career to this point and seeing many older karate students with injuries in the shoulder, back, hips or knee, I was very receptive to his instruction. It made sense that the more power that you create the more likely you will cause injury…to the attacker or to yourself. I had been around a classical dance instructor (business partner) and seen how he made a big point about posture and bone alignment; and, on the surface, I had some understanding.

However, sometimes, you are just ready to learn something you should have learned long ago.

If you do serious form or kata work in your school, have you noticed that people start having stiff necks, stiff upper backs, “tennis” elbow, lower back pain or knee problems at the Brown Belt level and above? Why is that? I believe that the normal student takes some time to start to develop some power. This is when the injuries start to occur. After all, if the punch lacks the power to do any real damage to the attacker, then it is unlikely that it is causing damage to your own body. Start developing the power and watch out.

Here are common problems to watch for in kata or form training at full power. Many of these problems won’t show up immediately, but practice this way for some years and be prepared for medical bills or an early retirement from your martial arts career.

1. Rotating the fist too early: If you are throwing a straight line punch, then the fist should rotate at the very end of the arm movement. If you rotate it too soon, then the elbow will fly out and cause tennis elbow.
2. Raising the shoulder: If your shoulder rises as you punch, then you are pulling the shoulder from its socket. A stiff neck, tight shoulders and a sore upper back will make your sleep less enjoyably. Keep it down.
3. Locking the knee out when you kick: All kicks must immediately snap back. While it looks impressive to snap it hard and hold it out, that energy will center in your knee instead of fly out the end of your leg/foot. Knee surgery is on your horizon.
4. Arching your lower back: You should stay tucked throughout your kata or form. A bottom, which sticks out, is damaging your lower back.
5. Knee out of alignment: Assume a forward stance. Lean your knee to the left or right. Notice the unnatural feel? Here is the rule to remember. Wherever the toes point, the knee should point. Move your knee in or out of that line and damage is sure to follow. This is especially true during time or when you are working with a partner or fighting.

Remember, classical technique, practiced properly, will never cause injury to you. As an instructor, start paying close attention to these issues when your students are practicing. If you are diligent, then you will help your students develop power safely and keep them practicing for many years to come.

Concepts, I said, not techniques. No matter how you fight, i.e., with weapons, grappling, hitting, kicking, etc., there are certain concepts, which are universal.

The best fighters are always:

1. Focused with purpose.

2. Calm of mind.

3. Calculating in strategy.

4. Efficient of movement and energy.

5. Incredibly powerful.

These are core skills of any great warrior and, yet, to watch much of what is promoted as fighting today, one would think that fighting is only about testosterone. Much of what I see being passed off as a fighter does not pass the test. They are not focused or calm, don’t seem to have any strategy, waste energy and are not powerful enough to hit with authority.

This list of skills includes three of the five core abilities that exist primarily in the mental arena, not the physical. Most modern martial artists, at least those who truly want to learn to fight, only concentrate on the physical. Proper kata, or form training, will help develop all of these areas, and that is why this training is as valuable to the modern world as it was to the ancient.

1. Focused with purpose: Ask a normal person to be wildly physical for several minutes. Encourage them to stay visually and mentally focused. Most can’t do it. Kata practice can help them.

2. Calm of mind: Watch the film of any great fighter. He always has a calm purpose. He doesn’t grimace and make wild facial expressions. He just hit with no hesitation and with complete purpose. Kata practice should do the same. This doesn’t mean that you never grimace; it only means that you don’t always grimace.

3. Calculating in strategy: You must develop the skill to stop thinking about form or function…and, yet, have full control of both. Proper form, or kata, practice should reach the level where you no longer think about form or processes. This allows the mind to move ahead in time and create strategies.

4. Efficient of movement and energy: You can always tell the beginning fighters from the advanced ones by how tense and uptight the beginners are. They are burning energy recklessly and it affects their performance greatly. Classical training should address this in the forms practice because every muscle that is not needed to execute the movement should be relaxed and prepared for the next one. The instructor can help the student discover this if he is diligent in his use of form practice.

5. Incredibly powerful: When I watch many people perform kata, I wonder what they are thinking about when they execute some of their movements. What was the purpose of that punch, or chop, they just used? Was it to hit something hard enough to break it or was it just a dance move? Certainly, there is a place for slow and deliberate movement, such as is done in a Tai Chi type of training, but that training is done to develop control of the movement through its entire range.

When Bill Wallace (Superfoot) was my instructor more than 30 years ago, I used to watch him do a kick in the air with a slow and deliberate pace. This gave him control of the movement through its entire range. Then, he would “crack” one at full speed. That was application. Both are important in form or kata practice.

With a good instructor to guide you, kata or form practice should help you work in all of these areas, without the distraction of another fighter. That’s why it’s called active meditation.

The goal for the ancient and modern martial artist is to learn how to develop a stable, mobile and fluid platform that can move in any direction and EXPLODE arms, legs, hands and feet with tremendous force. It is easier to reach these goals if kata or form is used to understand the critical importance of controlling and utilizing the center of the body.

The athletic ability to connect the top and the bottom of the body, while in motion is controlled by what classical martial artists have always called the “center” of the body. They are referring to the area just below the belly button and enveloping the whole pelvic area. If you look at a skeleton, you will know what I mean. The top of the body is connected via a chain of connections, to the spine, which ends at the tailbone. The bottom half of the body starts at the pelvis bone and includes the legs to the feet.

There are “sockets” or “joints” that connect the top of the leg to the pelvis and the knee. We call them a hip socket or a knee joint. The same is true with the arm to the shoulder.

There are no sockets between the top and bottom half of the body.

This area is controlled by masses of sinews, ligaments, muscles, etc.; and this area has the unique property of connecting the top of the body to the bottom half of the body in a rather miraculous design, which allows bending, twisting and exploding in almost any direction. If you do not properly control this area, then you are only punching with the top half of your body…maybe even only your arm…instead of the entire mass of your entire body. The same would be true of a kick.

An outstanding athlete is born with the ability to control this area. Classical martial arts schools must teach normal people how to do the same.

Besides power, this “centering” concept also holds great impact in the movement arena.

I’m sure that you’ve noticed, as have I, that many NFL football players can run at full-speed and be hit from almost any angle by another human being, also running at a high rate of speed, without falling, even though at the moment of contact, they are only standing on one foot. How do they do this? At our school, we would say they are “centering”. Athletes who are capable of doing this are quite remarkable, but they could never teach you to perform this feat because they don’t really know why they can do it.

Mike Tyson had a tremendous hitting strength by the age of 18, but Mike could never teach you how to hit like he does. He doesn’t really know how he does it…he just always seemed to be able to hit hard.

The problem of every classical school, as described above, is to take normal people, with less than normal athletic ability, and teach them to do unusual and dynamic things. Classical schools have faced this problem since the days of the Shaolin Temple, when young men, of various backgrounds and abilities, entered a program to develop into warrior monks and change their natural abilities.

In your form or kata training, you must carefully study the use of the center of the body and use that training to accelerate your power and movement abilities. To properly “connect” to this area of your body requires an instructor to guide you, but does not require a partner. This is one of those times when you need to look into yourself… physically, mentally and spiritually…to cause a change throughout your entire being.

We’ll look at kata more next month. Until then, keep training.

Weight trainers, gymnasts, dancers and football or basketball players who have stepped into the professional ring have been quickly destroyed…athletic ability or not.

The goal for the future, dynamic martial artist is to learn how to develop a stable, mobile and fluid platform that can move in any direction, and EXPLODE arms, legs, hands and feet with tremendous force. With some modern schools, this is sometimes confused with explosive dance or gymnastic moves. I suggest that this type of form should be called martial dance, and not martial art.

There is nothing wrong with martial dance. Many cultures have this tradition. In Okinawa, the traditional dances that are performed have many martial movements, but their intent is not to teach combat, but to entertain. The same can be said about classical theater in China. There are many examples of martial style movements, even martial weapons involved in the story plot of the play, but the intent is to entertain…not to fight. Even the traveling Shaolin monks, who appear in many U.S. cities, are clearly all about entertaining and not about combat.

When we are more concerned with how a movement or set of movements looks than we are about how it is used for combat, then we have moved from the area of martial art training to the area of entertainment.

Using kata, or form, to aid the development of a fighter is lost on people in the fighting arena because of this confusion. The “effectiveness” of kata, or form, must first divest itself from using any theatrical props or music, which exists for entertainment value, instead of combat training. That means any prop that is a facsimile of a weapon, instead of the real thing. Clothing that is not functional. Lighting that is distracting.

A classical view of form or kata training should include these seven elements.

1. Move forward, backward or at any angle smoothly and with graceful execution.
2. The body should not “porpoise”, but should move level and smoothly on one plane, unless the additional planes of movement are planned movement, not sloppy execution.
3. All changes of direction are made with perfect balance.
4. All strikes, of whatever type, must be dynamic (of great power).
5. The eyes and mind must be totally focused.
6. All movement is totally efficient. This means that all of the body not needed for the motion is relaxed. No champion fighter was ever tight, tense or frigid, whether in body or countenance.
7. The mind must move from a civilian mode to a warrior mode, during the entire sequence of the form or kata…and then return to a calm civilian mode. This active meditation and mental preparation for combat has great value.

In other words, as I stated at the top of the column, the practicing martial artist endeavors to develop a stable, mobile and fluid platform that can move in any direction and EXPLODE arms, legs, hands and feet with tremendous force and with intention to control or destroy an attacker.

Gruesome, but true.

If you are practicing kata or form in this manner, then you are probably discovering that it is an effective tool to help you become the warrior within and without.

If not, then you will find the exercise very useless.

Until next month, keep teaching and training